Draft attachment for vehicles



No. 623,85. Patented Apr. 25, |899.

A. oLlPHANT.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOB VEHICLES.

(Application led Dec. 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Unire Starts armar Ormea.

ABRAHAM OlilPI-IANT., OF STILLNVA'TER, OHIO.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,815, dated April 25, 1899.

Application tiled December 6, 18 98.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that l, ABRAHAM OLIPHANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stillwater, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Attachments for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to draf t or whiflietree attachments for vehicles, and particularly to that class of draft attachments devised for the. purpose of applying the draft directly upon the front axle, while permitting the hitchingpoint to remain at the usual place.

The present invention, generally stated, consists of improvements on the device disclosed in Letters Patent No. 242,682, granted to me June 7, 1881.

The invent-ion further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to generally simplify and improve the construction ofthe draft attachment shown in said patent, and thereby overcome certain deficiencies and disadvantages incident thereto, and also to provide a draft-bow of maximum strength and improved construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of my improved draft attachment for vehicles. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the attachment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the draft-bow.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, A represents the front axle, upon which are supported the rear ends of the bow-shaped hound B, further connected thereto by a lower bracing bow or frame B', secured to the under side of the axle. Bolted upon and to the axle is a bolster C, which moves between guides a, fastenedfto the hound. Oonnectin g the hound and said bracing bow or frame is a reversely-curved bar or brace b, the middle convex side of which is Serial No. 698,439. (No model.)

arranged in close proximity to the axle and may be directly connected thereto, if desired.

Between and arranged centrally of the upper and lower bars B B' of the hound is the tongue or pole socket D. This socket is bolted or otherwise secured to the said upper and lower bars of the hound and is also connected at its rear end to a transverse braceplate e, extending between the opposite sides ot' the bar B. To this plate and socket are connected the front ends of brace-rodsf, the

.rear ends of which are secured to the bar b and also to the axle, if desired.

The tongue or pole D/ is connected to its socket in the usual way by means of a pin or otherwise.

.The draft attachment comprises a crescentshaped bow E, which occupies the space between the upper and lower bars B B' of the hound and has its ends or arms projecting outwardly and forwardly therefrom. This bow is constructed of two curved bars g g', of different radii, spaced apart for the greater vportion of their length and connected intermediately by truss-bolts h., arranged on opposite sides of the central .portions thereof. The ends of said bars forming` each arm of the bow converge to a point and are suitably connected, and projecting around said arms are the hooked ends i of a metallic strap or brace t', which extends around the convex side of the rear bar g and prevents undue binding and springing of the bow under strain. The arms of the bow thus constructed are connected to the axle by draft-chains J, and to said arms are attached the whiftletrees K. The inner bar g of the bow E is hung at or about its-center in a ring Z, connected to the bar b, arranged close to the front axle.

The bow constructed in the manner above described possesses maximum strength and durability, and is thereby enabled to sustain great strain without liability of bending or breaking and occupies much less space than a U -shaped bow. By this construction also the employment of a transverse brace connecting the front arms of the bow may be dispensed with. Furthermore, all liability of the arms of the bow snapping under vertical strain is obviated.

From the foregoing it will be observed that IOO while the usual bitching-point is preserved the draft is applied directly upon the axle, by which greater leverage is obtained to more ieadily and with greater power lift a wheel or both wheels at the front of the vehicle, where the greatest strain is borne, out of a rut or over an obstruction; also, that the prescnt invention provides a draft attachment which is superior in point of simplicity of construction, strength, and durability to devices of this character heretofore devised.

The transverse brace c subtends the forward end of the hound B and is rigidly attached at its ends to the side members thereof at points equally distant from the pole-socket. The rear end of the pole-socket being attached to the transverse brace c is prevented from lateral movement, and the parts are further stayed by the rods f, running back to the axle and to the bar 3.

The crescent-shaped draft attachment E has the terminal portions of its members g and g tapering, so as 1o tit closely together. The biglits or folds of the strap form eyes, which receive the attaching rings or links of the whiilletrees K.

Having thus described t-hc invention7 what is claimed as new isl. Adraftattachmentof cresccntsliape and composed of similarly-curved bars placed one in advance -of the other and having their end portions tapering and fitted together, and having the intermediate portions sgaced apart, the space gradually decreasing from a medial point toward the extremities of the bars, a brace applied to the convex side of the rear bar and having its end portions bent around the extremities of the bars and secured to the front bar, the folds or bights forming eyes for attachment of the draft thereto, and bracing connections between the middle portions of the bars, substantially as set forth.

2. Iii a draft attachment, a bow-shaped hound, and a reversely-curved bar secured at its ends to thehound, in combination with a pole-socket secured centrally to the hound and projecting in the rear thereof, a transverse brace secured to the rear of the polesocket and to the hound, and connections between the middle portions of the transverse brace and the aforesaid curved bar, substantially as specified.

In combination with an axle, and a bowshaped hound composed of upper and lower members, areversely-curved bar in the plane of the space formed between the parts of the hound and attached inedially to the parts of the hound, a crescent-shaped bar having a limited play between the members of the hound and loosely connected at its middle and ends to the axle, a pole-socket secured to the members of the hound and projecting in the rear of its point of attachment, a transverse brace secured to the rear of the polesocket and to the hound upon opposite sides thereof, and rods between the brace and curved bar, substantially as set forth.

Iii testimonywliereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. A

ABRAHAM OLIPIIANT.

Witnesses J. G. LUKENs, J. A. BRATToN. 

